The early history of the Nestle Company began with Henri Nestle’s search for an economical and healthy alternative to breast feeding for mothers who couldn’t breast feed their children.

Henri Nestle was a train pharmacist, who in the mid 1860’s began doing experiments with a variety of combinations of cow’s milk, sugar and wheat flour, in an effort to create an alternative baby nutrition for mother’s who couldn’t breast feed their babies. Nestle aimed to help combat the infant mortality problem due to malnutrition.

His first successful customer was a premature baby who was intolerant neither to his mother’s milk nor to any of the conventional substitutes, and was considered a lost cause by local physicians. Nestle named his new product Farine Lactee Henri Nestle. His new product Farine Lactee Nestle’s saved the baby’s life, gaining people’s recognition in its value and in a few years it was being marketed in much of Europe.

Henri Nestle showed early knowledge of the power of branding. For a trademark he decided to use his own coat of arms; Nestle means “little nest” in Henri Nestle’s German dialect. He was also suggested to change it for the white cross of the Swiss Flag by one of his agents; he firmly responded that he couldn’t allow changing his trademark for the Swiss cross and having a different trademark for every country. He stated that anyone could use a cross, but no-one could use his coat of arms.

In 1905 Nestle merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company that was founded in 1866 by Americans Charles and George Page, after being fierce competitors. The Anglo-Swiss Company extended its product line in the mid 1870’s; it included infant formulas and cheese. The Nestle Company was purchased by Jules Monnerat in 1874 from Henri Nestle, responded to its fierce competitor the Anglo-Swiss company by launching a condensed milk product of its own.

Other firsts occurred the following years. Vevey Resident Daniel Peter, a friend and neighbor of Henri Nestle, discovered in 1875 that combining cocoa and milk produced milk chocolate. So he started a company that after becoming the world’s leading chocolate maker it was later merged with Nestle. Swiss miller Julius Maggi first created a food product in 1882, that was easy to digest and quick to prepare just utilizing legumes. Maggi & Company was launched because of his instant Pea and bean soups, it was by the turn of the century that Maggi & Company besides powdered soups, it was producing sauces, flavorings and bouillon cubes.

After the war, the contracts with the government expired and consumers went back to fresh milk. However, the Nestle administration quickly responded, simplifying the procedures and lessening its doubt. In the 1920’s Nestle saw its first expansion beyond its traditional product line, chocolate making became the Company’s second most important activity. New products appeared regularly: a powdered buttermilk for kids, malted milk, a powdered beverage called Milo and Nescafe in 1938. Nescafe was later followed by Nestea in the early 1940’s.

Nestle felt the effects of World War II, when its profits dropped from #20 million in 1938 to $6 million in 1939. Factories where established in developing countries, especially Latin America. Ironically, the introduction of Nestle’s newest product, Nescafe, was speeded up by World War II. Nescafe became a fundamental beverage of American servicemen serving in Europe and Asia after the United States entered the war. Nestle’s sales and production increased in time of war.

World War II was the beginning of Nestle’s most dynamic phase in its history. Through all this period Nestle added dozens of new products as companies were acquired due to the accelerated growth within the Company.

In 1947 Nestle became Nestle Alimentana Company after merging with Alimentana S.A the manufacturer of Maggie seasonings and soups. It also acquired the British manufacturer of preserved and canned foods Crosse & Blackwell in 1960, followed with the purchase of Findus frozen foods in 1963, Libby’s fruit juices in 1971 and Stouffer’s frozen foods in 1973.Taster’s Choice instant coffee was introduced in 1966.

Nestle in a world of development compensated in part the radical change in the traditional company markets. Nestle created its second company outside of the food industry with the acquisition of Alcon Laboratories Inc.

Between 1980 and 1984 Nestle gave up some companies. In 1984 the Nestle Company launched a new line of products, being Carnation America’s food giant and the most import one.

During the first half of the 1990s decade, became favorable for Nestle, commerce obstacles came to an end and world markets were integrated in exchange areas. Since 1996 Nestle has made more acquisitions: San Pellegrino in 1997, domestic animal food by Spillers in 1998, and Ralston Purina in 2002. In July there were to major acquisitions in North America, both made in 2002. Nestle fused its ice cream American company within Dreyer’s and in August Chef America, Inc. was acquired for 2.6 million dollars.

2003 started well with the acquisition of the Movenpick ice cream to better Nestle’s position as one of the maker leaders in this category. In 2006 Uncle Toby and Jenny Craig were added to Nestle’s portfolio and in 2007, Gerber, Henniez and Novartis Medical Nutrition joined the company. At the end of 2007 Nestle ventured into a strategic alliance with Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini. In 2008 the process of selling Alcon began.

2010 was decade that began with Nestle’s announcement that the sale of Alcon to Novartis was final. Right after the Alcon announcement, Nestle bought Kraft’s frozen pizza business.